What it is
Google AI Studio is a web workspace for experimenting with Google's Gemini models. You write chat prompts, adjust model and safety settings, turn on structured output, function calling, code execution and Google Search grounding, then use Get code to copy the request into your own project. It is also where you create a Gemini API key, and Build mode lets you vibe code full-stack apps from a description.
Using AI Studio and the Gemini API's free tier costs nothing, with lower rate limits, limited access to some models, and prompts on the free tier used to improve Google's products. The paid tier is pay as you go per token, keeps your content out of training, and is required for the newest flagship models such as Gemini 4 Argon.
Best for
- Testing Gemini prompts before writing code
- Getting a free Gemini API key for side projects
- Prototyping a full-stack app from a prompt in Build mode